Exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver and the method of using the assembly

ABSTRACT

An exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver includes a connector partially received in the shank of the screwdriver and including a polygonal block and the polygonal stub longitudinally extending from one end of the polygonal block. The polygonal stub is received in the shank of the screwdriver. A first detaching block has a polygonal hole defined to selectively receive the polygonal block of the connector for detaching the connector from the shank after rotating. A barrel is connected to the polygonal block of the connector and has a polygonal hole defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector. A second detaching block is selectively connected to the barrel and has a hole defined to partially receive the barrel for detaching the barrel from the connector after rotating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exchangeable work assembly, and more particularly to an exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver and the method of using the assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional screwdriver in accordance with the prior art usually comprises a handle, a shank securely and longitudinally inserted into the handle for connected to a work assembly. The work assembly includes a connector connected to a free end of the shank, a socket partially receiving the connector and a tip partially inserted in the socket for driving a work piece. The work assembly of the screwdriver can be exchanged for various work pieces. However, the user must exchange the work assembly with his fingers so that the work assembly will dirty user's finger and the sweat on the user's fingers will make the work assembly rusted.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional screwdriver with an exchangeable work assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver and the method of using the assembly.

To achieve the objective, the method uses the polygonal shape of an element and a polygonal hole in another element and promotes the friction between the two elements by rotating to make the inner periphery of the hole securely abutting the outer periphery of another element. The exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver in accordance with the present invention comprises a connector partially received in the shank of the screwdriver and including a polygonal block and the polygonal stub longitudinally extending from one end of the polygonal block. The polygonal stub is received in the shank of the screwdriver. A first detaching block has a polygonal hole defined to selectively receive the polygonal block of the connector for detaching the connector from the shank after rotating. A barrel is connected to the polygonal block of the connector and has a polygonal hole defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector. A second detaching block is selectively connected to the barrel and has a hole defined to partially receive the barrel for detaching the barrel from the connector after rotating.

By such a manner, the use's fingers never touch the tip or the barrel so that the used tip and the barrel do not dirty user's hand and the sweat on user's fingers should not make the work assembly rusted.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of an exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another detaching block for detaching the connector in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 2 when the detaching block is rotated;

FIG. 5 is an operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is another operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 1 when the detaching block is rotated;

FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the detaching block for detaching a tip;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is another operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 7 when the detaching block is rotated.

FIG. 11 is another embodiment of the detaching block for detaching a tip;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is another embodiment of the detaching block for detaching a tip;

FIG. 14 is operational side cross-sectional view of the detaching block in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is another operational side cross-sectional view of the detaching block in FIG. 13 when the detaching block is rotated above thirty degrees;

FIG. 16 is another embodiment of the barrel in FIG. 1 and the detaching block for detaching the barrel;

FIG. 17 is another embodiment of the detaching block for detaching a tip;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 17; and

FIG. 20 is another operational top plan view of the detaching block in FIG. 17 when the detaching block id rotated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-6, a screwdriver (4) usually comprises a handle (41), a shank (42) with a first end securely longitudinally inserted into the handle (41) and a second having a polygonal hole (not numbered) longitudinal defined in the shank (42), and an exchangeable work assembly attached to a free end of the shank (42). In the preferred embodiment, the polygonal hole is a hexagon hole.

The exchangeable work assembly of the present invention comprises a connector (14) partially received in the polygonal hole in the shank (42) of the screwdriver. The connector (14) comprises a polygonal block (not number) and the polygonal stub (not numbered) longitudinally extending from one end of the polygonal block. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the polygonal block is cubic, and the stub is hexagon and corresponding to the polygonal hole in the shank (42). The polygonal block has four sides and one of the sides has a steel ball (144) mounted in the polygonal block. The steel ball (144) partially extends out of the outer periphery of the polygonal block. A first barrel (15) is mounted to the polygonal block. The first barrel (15) has polygonal through hole (151) longitudinally defined in the first barrel (15) and a series of notches (152) longitudinally defined in the outer periphery of the first barrel (15). The polygonal hole (151) in the barrel (15) is a cubic hole that is defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector (14). A first detaching block (25) includes a through hole (251) defined to partially receive the first barrel (15) and a series V-shaped protrusion (252) longitudinally extending form an inner periphery of the through hole (251) in the first detaching block (25). Each protrusion (252) is complementary to a corresponding one of the series of notches (152) of the first barrel (15). A second detaching block (24) has a polygonal hole (241) defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector (14). In preferred embodiment of the present invention, the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24) is a cubic hole. The steel ball (144) abuts the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24) and the friction between the polygonal stub and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole in the shank (42) is greater than that between the polygonal block and the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24).

To detach the connector (14) from the second detaching block (24), the shank (42) is moved to make the polygonal hole in the second end of the shank (42) receiving the polygonal stub of the connector (14), then the shank (42) is moved along an opposite direction and the connector (14) is detaching from the second detaching block (24) because the friction between the polygonal stub and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole in the shank (42) is greater than that between the polygonal block of the connector and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24). To detach the connector (14) from the shank (42), the detaching block (24) is moved to make the polygonal hole (241) receiving the polygonal block of the connector (14), and rotated to make the crest lines of the polygonal block securely abutting the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24) to promote the friction between the polygonal block of the connector (14) and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24). Then the second detaching block (24) is moved away from the shank (42) and the connector (14) is detached from the shank (42) and received in the polygonal hole (241) when the friction between the polygonal block of the connector (14) and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (241) in the second detaching block (24) is greater than that between the polygonal stub of the connector (14) and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole in the shank (42).

With reference to FIG. 1, the connector (14) is previously connected to the shank (42) of the screwdriver (4). To detach the barrel (15) from the first detaching block (25), the polygonal block is moved and inserted into the polygonal hole (151) in the barrel (15). The friction between inner periphery of the polygonal hole in the shank (42) and the polygonal stub of the connector (14) is greater than that between the polygonal block of the connector (14) and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (151) in the barrel (15). Furthermore, the friction between the polygonal block of the connector (14) and the inner periphery of the polygonal hole (151) in the barrel (15) is greater than that between the outer periphery barrel (15) and the inner periphery of the through hole (251) in the first detaching block (25). Consequently, the barrel (15) is connected to the connector (14) and the polygonal block is received in the polygonal hole (151) when the first detaching block (25) is moved away from the barrel (15).

To detach the barrel (15) from the connector (14), the first detaching block (25) is moved to make the through hole (251) receiving the barrel (15). The first detaching block (25) is rotated to make the V-shaped protrusion (252) abutting the sidewall of the notch (152) in the outer periphery of the barrel (15) to promote the friction between the barrel (15) and the first detaching block (25). Then the first detaching block (25) is moved away from the connector (14) and the barrel (15) is detached from the connector (14) and received in the through hole (251) in the first detaching block (25) when the friction between the barrel (15) and the first detaching block (25) is greater than that between the barrel (15) and the connector (14).

With reference to FIGS. 7-10, the exchangeable work assembly of the present invention further comprises a tip (16) partially received in the polygonal hole in the shank (42) and a third detaching block (26) for detaching the tip (16) from the shank (42). The tip (16) has a first end received in the polygonal hole in the shank (42) and a second end for driving a work piece. The third detaching block (26) has a polygonal hole (261) defined to receive the second end of the tip (16) during detaching the tip (16) from the shank (42). The cross-section of the polygonal hole (261) corresponds to that of the tip (16) and the polygonal hole (261) and has an area greater than that of the tip (16). The polygonal hole (261) in the third detaching block (26) has multiple sides connected to one another and each is convex relative to the third block (26). The polygonal hole (261) in the third detaching block (26) is tapered and the enlarged end of the polygonal hole (261) faces the tip (16). The method and the principle of detaching the tip from the shank (42) is the same as that of detaching the connector (14) from the shank (42) and the papered polygonal hole (261) and prevent the tip (16) from detaching from the third detaching block (26) after the tip (16) being detached from the shank (42).

With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, it is another embodiment of the third detaching block, wherein the detaching block (27) has a polygonal blind hole (271) defined to receive the second end of the tip (16). A magnet (3) is mounted in an inner periphery of the polygonal blind hole (3) to fascinate with tip (16) and prevent the tip (16) from detaching from the detaching block (26) after being detached from the shank (42). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the magnet (3) in mounted in a bottom of the polygonal blind hole (271) in the detaching block (27). The magnet (3) has a magnetic force greater than a friction between the tip (16) and the shank (42).

With reference to FIGS. 13-15, it is another embodiment of the tip and the third detaching block. The tip (12), as shown in the FIG. 13, has an annular groove (123) defined in a middle portion of the tip (12). The detaching block (28) has a blind hole (281) defined to receive the second end of the tip (12). The blind hole (281) in the detaching block (28) has a diameter slight greater than a length of each of the diagonals in the tip (12). The detaching block (28) includes two sticks (282) laterally extending through detaching block (28) and partially laterally received in the blind hole (281). A distance between the two sticks (282) is slightly greater than that between two opposite sides of the tip (12). To detach the tip (12) from the detaching block (28), the shank (42) is moved toward the tip (12) to make the tip (12) partially received in the polygonal hole in the shank (42) and moved the shank (42) away from the detaching block (28) after turning the tip (12) to make the two opposite sides facing the two sticks (282). To detach the tip (12) from the shank (42), the detaching block (28) is moved toward the tip (12) to make the tip (12) partially received in the blind hole (281) and the annular groove (123) aligning with the two sticks (282). The detaching block (28) is moved away from the shank (42) to detach the tip (12) from the shank (42) after rotating the detaching block (28) to make the two sticks (282) partially received in the annular groove (123) in the tip (12).

With reference to FIG. 16, it is another embodiment of the barrel (15) and the first detaching block (25). The barrel (17) is cubic and includes four edges each having a cutout (173) longitudinally defined in the outer periphery of the barrel (17). The detaching block (29) has a hole (291) defined to partially receive the barrel (17). The hole (291) in the detaching block (29) has a cross-section corresponding to that of the barrel (17). The method of connecting the barrel (17) to the connector (14) and detaching the barrel (17) from the detaching block (29) is the same as using first detaching block (25).

With reference to FIGS. 17-20, it is another embodiment of the tip (6) and the third detaching block (26). The tip (11) includes multiple edges each having an indentation (113) defined near a middle portion of the tip (11). The detaching block (20) has a hole (201) defined to partially receive the tip (11). The hole (201) in the detaching block (20) has a diameter slightly greater than a length of each of the diagonals of the tip (11). The detaching block (20) has multiple ratchets (202) formed on an inner periphery of the hole (201) in the detaching block (20) and each corresponding to a corresponding one of the indentations (113).

To detach the tip (11) from the detaching block (20), the shank (42) is moved toward the tip (11) to make the tip (11) partially received in the shank (42). The shank (42) and the tip (11) are moved away from the detaching block (20) after rotating the tip (11) to make the sides of the tip (11) facing the ratchet (202) in the hole (201). To detach the tip (11) from the shank (42), the detaching block (20) is moved toward the tip (11) to make the tip (11) partially received in the hole (201) in the detaching block (20). The detaching block (20) is rotated to make the ratchet (202) engaged to the indentation (113) in the tip (11) so that the tip (11) is remained in the hole (201) in the detaching block (20) after removing the shank (42) from the detaching block (20).

As described above, the use's fingers never touch the tip or the barrel so that the used tip and the barrel do not dirty user's hand and the sweat on user's fingers should not make the work assembly rusted.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A method of using an exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver uses the polygonal shape of an element and a polygonal hole in another element, and promotes the friction between the two elements by rotating to make the inner periphery of the hole securely abutting the outer periphery of another element.
 2. An exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver comprising: a tip with a first end adapted to be longitudinally connected to and partially received in a shank of the screwdriver, and a second end adapted to drive a work piece; and a detaching block having a hole defined to selectively receive and engaging to the second end of the tip for detaching the tip from the shank of the screwdriver after rotating.
 3. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hole in the detaching block is polygonal hole and defined to receive the second end of the tip during detaching the tip, the cross-section of the hole corresponds to that of the tip, the hole having an area greater than that of the tip and having multiple sides connected to one another and each being convex relative to the detaching block, the hole being tapered and the enlarged end of the hole facing the tip.
 4. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tip has an annular groove defined in an outer periphery of the tip and detaching block has a blind hole defined to receive the second end of the tip, the blind hole having a diameter slight greater than a length of each of the diagonals in the tip, the detaching block including two sticks laterally extending through detaching block and partially laterally received in the blind hole wherein a distance between the two sticks is slightly greater than that between two opposite sides of the tip.
 5. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tip includes multiple edges each having an indentation defined near a middle portion of the tip and the hole in the detaching block has a diameter slightly greater than a length of each of the diagonals of the tip, multiple ratchets formed on an inner periphery of the hole in the detaching block, each corresponding to and selectively engaged to a corresponding one of the indentations.
 6. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 2 further comprising: a connector adapted to be partially received in the shank of the screwdriver and including a polygonal block and the polygonal stub longitudinally extending from one end of the polygonal block, the polygonal stub adapted to be received in the shank of the screwdriver; a first detaching block having a polygonal hole defined to selectively receive the polygonal block of the connector for detaching the connector from the shank after rotating; a barrel connected to the polygonal block of the connector, the barrel having a polygonal hole defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector; and a second detaching block selectively connected to the barrel, the barrel having a hole defined to partially receive the barrel for detaching the barrel from the connector after rotating.
 7. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the barrel has a series of notches longitudinally defined in an outer periphery of the barrel and the second detaching block includes a series V-shaped protrusion longitudinally extending form an inner periphery of the hole in the first detaching block, each protrusion complementary to a corresponding one of the series of notches of the first barrel.
 8. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the barrel is cubic and includes four edges each having a cutout longitudinally defined in the outer periphery of the barrel and the hole in the detaching block has a cross-section corresponding to that of the barrel.
 9. An exchangeable work assembly of a screwdriver comprising: a connector adapted to be partially received in the shank of the screwdriver and including a polygonal block and the polygonal stub longitudinally extending from one end of the polygonal block, the polygonal stub adapted to be received in the shank of the screwdriver; a first detaching block having a polygonal hole defined to selectively receive the polygonal block of the connector for detaching the connector from the shank after rotating; a barrel connected to the polygonal block of the connector, the barrel having a polygonal hole defined to receive the polygonal block of the connector; and a second detaching block selectively connected to the barrel, the barrel having a hole defined to partially receive the barrel for detaching the barrel from the connector after rotating.
 10. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the barrel has a series of notches longitudinally defined in an outer periphery of the barrel and the second detaching block includes a series V-shaped protrusion longitudinally extending form an inner periphery of the hole in the first detaching block, each protrusion complementary to a corresponding one of the series of notches of the first barrel.
 11. The exchangeable work assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the barrel is cubic and includes four edges each having a cutout longitudinally defined in the outer periphery of the barrel and the hole in the detaching block has a cross-section corresponding to that of the barrel. 